Much has been written about the power of social media and how marketers can use it successfully. The trick is to make sure one doesn’t go overboard. Here our experts talk about the pitfalls and how to avoid them
A Nielsen analysis among brands in the telecom, soft drink and auto categories revealed that a higher brand page count does not correlate to higher engagement.
With the increased engagement that the Indian consumer has with the digital space, marketers are ensuring that they are visible on the two screens that are critical: the mobile and the PC screen. Within the digital environment, it is important to understand how the consumer connects with a brand, and how a brand is most effective at making this connection. And to this end, social media plays a leading role in making a connection between the brand and the digital consumer.
Nielsen, a company that delves into what consumers are watching and engaging with, has found that with over 50 million active social media users, Indians spend more time on social media than any other activity on the internet. As much as 80 per cent of social media users spend more than 15 minutes per day on social media every day, while 30 per cent spend more than 1 hour every day. There is a noticeable transition between accessing social media on the PC to the mobile phone, and this is expected to increase.
The potential is huge for marketers, but to capitalise on the digital opportunity, close attention needs to be paid to the level of engagement of the audience with the brand. A Nielsen analysis amongst brands in the telecom, soft drink and auto categories revealed that a higher brand page count does not correlate to a higher level of engagement.
Engagement was defined as a combination of two factors: One, which actions a consumer takes on a brand page (for example, downloading an app) and two, what stated associations does a consumer have with that brand page (for example, is a particular fan page their favourite?). On a scale of one to 10, where a level of 10 is the most engaged, a Nielsen Engagement Index shows that all consumers in the study cluster around a score of seven — regardless of whether a brand page has one or 4.5 million fans. Clearly, brands are not differentiating on engagement levels and need to develop an online strategy that will differentiate and improve the effectiveness of the social media platform. The good news for brands is that consumers are open and willing to engage with a brand. Marketers need to innovate to create lasting relationships between the consumer and their brand.
These levels of engagement are predominantly guided by six factors, of which, the two key are company interaction and brand aspiration. Other key factors of engagement success include offering free giveaways, posting lively discussions and general updates about the brand, having a “hip” brand and being “liked” by friends. Consumers also want brands to provide tips on maintaining products and services, conduct more contests, create more games and utilities and overall conduct more conversations. Establishing a personal connection is the most critical aspect of driving engagement for a brand. Social media is a not a broadcast medium — it is a personal medium that enables a more personal connection.
In India, mobile is already going beyond voice and short-message-texting capabilities as the number of active mobile internet users continues to rise. By the end of next year, while more than 40 million users will access social media sites via personal computers, over 60 million users will access the sites via their mobile phones. Two factors are driving the mobile Internet surge: One, the prices of smartphones have dropped by 50 per cent in the last 12 months and, two, consumers are actively seeking out Internet connectivity as a feature in their next phone purchase. Google’s free Android operating system for smartphones has enabled a myriad of handset makers to develop more affordable smartphones and we have seen Android’s share of the smartphone market quickly rise.
When the typical Indian consumer goes shopping for a new phone, that quest is entirely feature driven. While the camera and FM radio remain favorites, consumers are now also looking for internet connectivity via their mobile phone, hoping to finally connect to the growing online community. With social networking already prevalent on the mobile screen, Nielsen Informate Mobile Insights tell us that among smartphone users, three-of-four use social networking and spend more than two hours browsing the internetand using applications. This behavior is even more pronounced among the youth: they spend more two-and-a-half hours browsing the internet and using applications. India’s digital consumer has a confluence of factors that should drive a company’s marketing strategy with a focus on social media. A growing media user base, an increasing smartphone penetration combined with a mounting consumer desire to connect — open up opportunities to create programs that elevate and differentiate a company’s brand from the rest.
The author is managing director for Nielsen Media, India region
